(Continued from yesterday, see below)
So how early did we arrive to claim our foursome’s tee time at Torrey Pines?
Each person in our regular foursome would take a turn. When it was my turn, I would leave the house at around 3:30 a.m. (usually after going to bed around midnight — hey, it was Friday night) and arrive at Torrey at 4:15 a.m. I don’t think I ever cracked the top ten in the order. We’re talking some serious early morning golfers here.
One guy used to always pull his camper into the parking lot the night before. Not surprisingly, his group always went off first, probably on the South Course.
The coffee shop opened early –- I think around 4:30 –- and it would be jam-packed with guys stumbling around in search of some bad coffee and a stale donut. If you got there early enough, you grabbed a booth for you and your group where you could hang until it was light enough to go out and hit some putts.
The truth is, it was a lot of fun. The camaraderie and setting were great even when the golf suffered. I miss those days.
Tomorrow: My Unbelievable 18th Hole Story
The Armchair Golfer
(Photo: City of San Diego)